


The Sounds of Earth

by vancho1



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3420095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vancho1/pseuds/vancho1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An episode set sometime in the future of Firefly, before Serenity. The crew of Serenity hasn't had a job in weeks. Resorting to salvaging scrap, they make an amazing find - the Voyager spacecraft, adrift in deep space. As they realize what they have in their hands, Mal and Simon disagree over what should be done with the Voyager Golden record.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I guess this is my first published piece of fanfiction. Still unfinished for now, part 2 coming sometime soon! Constructive criticism welcome, as I'm always looking to improve. Please be nice, though.

The Sounds of Earth

          “Why’ve we got to eat this crap again? I’m hungry fer real food.”

 

The dinner table of Serneity was set with small plates of a brown nutrient and protein paste, the portions looking sadly small even for a meal when broke.

 

          “Maybe if you quit your whining, Jayne, we might be able to find a job that doesn’t pay squat”

 

Mal was tired after a long day of searching for work. For the past two weeks, Serenity had been drifting from border world to border world, looking for any job that would keep her crew flying. Settlement after settlement, there was nothing but disappointment for them. Mal was starting to seriously consider salvaging scrap from the trade-lanes; there was bound to be something, somewhere.

 

          “The Lord will provide.”

 

          “If the Lord’s gonna get us a job, he’d better do it soon, preacher. Wash! Set course for Persephone.”

 

The pilot looked at him uncertainly, and then to his wife. Zoë met his gaze and nodded. She turned towards Mal.

 

          “Thought Badger didn’t have work for us, captain.”

 

          “Let’s hope he’s changed his mind. Keep an eye out for any scrap or derelicts. Spaceport always needs parts, and at least we’ll be able to keep flying.”

 

          “Can’t keep flying on fumes too much longer, captain.”

 

Mal furrowed his brow, turning away from the table. He was silent for a moment which filled the room. Everyone’s eyes were on their captain, waiting for some reassurance, something to keep them going until the next disappointment.

 

          “I know. But we’ve been through worse.”

 

Zoë nodded understandingly. The group quietly cleared away the plates, scraped clean despite the unpalatable taste of the protein. The uncertainty of it all hung in the air, lingering as they left one by one, leaving their captain standing alone in the now-silent room.

 

Four hours later, Wash was sitting in the bridge, sleepily monitoring the sensors with his feet up. Most of the lights were off, leaving the glow of the screen as the only major source of illumination in the room, and it lit up his face with a faint blue glow. His eyelids drooped, but he shook himself awake and looked at the screen again. Nothing. With a sigh, he closed his eyes again, only for a beep to startle him awake. His feet landed hard on the floor as he pulled himself forward to check the radar and Wave. There was a blip on both sensors and communications – a weak radio signal flashed on the instruments. Pulling down a microphone, Wash called the captain’s room.

 

          “Cap’n, you might want to come up here. I’ve got some sort of distress or nav beacon on sensors – it’s drifting, but it’s not too off-course.”

 

In a few minutes, Mal and Zoë were both up on the bridge, looking at the screen along with Wash.

 

          “Whatever it is, it must be pretty small. You think it’s worth it?”

 

          “I don’t think we have a choice. Wash, get us to it. Zoë, you suit up. I’ll wake Jayne so we can haul it aboard.”

 

As Serenity approached the small spacecraft, Wash and Kaylee watched it through the windows on the bridge.

 

          “Those antennae could be valuable. It’s prolly a space probe or somethin’. Equipment like that’s worth a lot.”

 

          “Great, except that we don’t know how old it is. It could be worth lots. It could be worthless!”

 

          “Well, we just have to hope for the best.”

 

Meanwhile, Mal, Zoë, and Jayne were maneuvering the probe into Serenity’s hold. It was going to be a tight fit, especially with the instrument booms extended. Zoë floated over to try and collapse them, but one of them was stuck, and that would be a problem – it would stick out of the airlock, preventing them from entering the ship. Mal sent Jayne back to get a plasma cutter. Time passed slowly as they cut though the metal beams which connected different instruments to the main craft. They finally managed to take it apart enough to carry everything inside – the airlock was positively cramped as the large bay door closed. In Serenity’s cargo bay, Kaylee sat, waiting eagerly to see what had been brought in.

 

          “Looks good so far, cap’n.”

 

Mal allowed himself a half-smile, but his mood soon soured.

 

          “I hope so. Half of this looks like scrap to me.”

 

With a frown, Kaylee went over to the parts. She soon started picking through the electronics and hardware, looking at everything carefully at first, but then quickening her pace, eager to explore everything on the probe.

 

          “Ooh, a Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer, I always thought we needed one of those.”

 

          “Remember, Kaylee, that’s our merchandise. Don’t take it apart ‘less you absolutely need the part for Serenity.”

 

Kaylee’s face drooped a bit, her enthusiasm tempered by the reality of their situation. She sighed, and got back to work taking apart the probe.

 

          “Yes, cap’n.”

 

For a few delightful hours, she was alone with the find. The rest of the crew had gone back to sleep, and they wouldn’t reach Persephone for six more hours. Getting her tools from the engine room, she began the delicate task of disassembling the probe. Every time she pulled a part from the probe, she thought of what she could do with it if they didn’t have to sell them. There was a radio transmitter/receiver – that would have made a good crybaby, if they didn’t have to sell it. She also marveled at the beauty of the machine – it was clearly made very delicately, by hand, with every part in its exact place and with its own purpose. Kaylee wondered how long it had drifted out here in space – whatever its purpose, it had long outlived it. The superstructure was dotted with impacts from micrometeorites and cosmic dust; this probe was very old, and it had come a long way. She imagined the engineers who put it together, and wondered what they would think of her, taking apart their baby for the parts.

 

Morning ship-time, Kaylee was sleeping peacefully on the floor next to piles of electronics and scrap metal. Mal came down the stairs, looking at Kaylee’s sleeping form with an almost fatherly expression. He looked over the heaps of various components.

 

          “I see you enjoyed yourself.”

 

Kaylee woke with a start to see the captain. She slowly lifted herself to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

 

          “Hm? Oh, yes, cap’n.”

 

          “So what’s all this?”

 

She stood up groggily and went over to the various piles, waving over them descriptively.

 

          “This here’s the scrap, and that’s the stuff that can be fixed up, and over here’s the working stuff.”

 

At the same moment, River walked into the room softly. She cocked her head, as if listening to a silent voice in the air, before walking slowly over to one of the piles. Digging through the scrap, she pulled out a large golden disk with markings on its surface, carefully placed it on the floor, and then lied down with her ear pressed to the metal. Mal and Kaylee stare at her for a moment, then react at the same time.

 

          “What’s that girl doing?”

 

          “Don’t touch that!”

 

          “What’s it for?”

 

River opened her eyes without taking her head off of the disk, and stared at the other two. Lifting a finger to her mouth, she replied in her usual distant voice.

 

          “Shhh. Listening to the voices.”

 

Mal threw his hands up in frustration, and started walking away.

 

          “Great. Let me know what it’s worth as scrap once she takes her fool head off of it.”

 

At that moment, Simon entered the room, looking for his sister. He nearly collided with Mal, who was on the way out. Disoriented for a moment, he looked around for his sister, finally spotting her on the floor of the cargo hold. He walked over to her quickly and lifted her upright with his usual concerned gentleness.

 

          “River, remember what I told you about lying on the floor?”

 

She looked at him with a critical glance.

 

          “It’s cold and people will step on me”

 

Simon nodded, grasping her arm softly.

 

          “That’s right, River. What were you doing on the floor?”

 

          “I was listening.”

 

          “Listening to what?”

 

          “The voices. They’ve been waiting so long, flying all the way to be heard.”

 

Puzzled by her words, Simon searched the room to see what his sister could be referring to. His eyes finally lighted on the gold disk lying on the floor where River had been resting her head. Standing her up gently, he moved over to it and picked it up. Simon studied the diagrams etched into the gold cover carefully, the pieces falling into place in his brain. He lifted the golden cover from the disk to reveal a shiny surface engraved with tiny circular grooves. A few words were etched into the space between the label and the grooves: _To the makers of music – all worlds, all times._ When he read the label, the pieces finally clicked together.

 

          “My god.”

 

**THE SOUNDS OF EARTH**

**NASA**

**THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA**

**PLANET EARTH**

          


	2. Part II

“Don’t you understand? Don’t any of you understand? This is part of human history we have in our hands, and you just want to-”

The doctor’s protestations were cut off by a simple declaration from the captain.

“I’m not going to argue with you. If you disagree with how I’m running this ship, you and your sister are free to leave.”

The crew of Serenity was clustered around the table again, this time looking at the metal disk lying on the middle of the table. In such a mundane setting, it seemed unremarkable – just another piece of scrap metal from an ancient piece of space junk. Jayne reached out to touch the record, but a glare from Simon made him withdraw his hand.

“Don’ really see what the gorram thing’s worth. Nobody can even listen to the thing.”

Inara, who had rarely graced the company of the dinner table since her return to Serenity, broke her silence.

“There are plenty of collectors around Persephone who would pay a good price for this. I’ll have to ask around my clientele, but there is no doubt that I will find a buyer.”

Simon slumped down in his chair, clearly outnumbered by the others. No matter how strong his sense of the right thing to do with the record, he couldn’t deny the facts – they were broke, the scrap wouldn’t sell for much, and this was the best chance they had to keep flying. He shuddered inside at the thought of having to leave the ship, and be on the run from the Alliance without anyone to help him. No, he did not want to go back to that life. Simon struggled with his sister’s eccentricities, but he knew that Serenity was a good influence on her, probably better than any hospital and advanced medical equipment could be. He only hoped that stopping on Persephone wouldn’t attract more attention to the ship. A hand on his shoulder roused Simon from his dark thoughts. Looking up, his eyes met Kaylee’s, and he could tell that she was worried about something.

“Don’t be sad, Doc. I know how you feel – I’d just love to be able to hear what those people put on that disk all those years ago. We just can’t keep it.”

He nodded and lifted the record’s cover. Nobody stopped him as he stared at the schematics and sighed.

“I just wish we could hear it, at least once.”

River leaned into the room at that moment, peeking over his shoulder at the lines on the cover. She turned her head, staring at the thin white lines, before turning to leave the room. She called over her shoulder as she walked out.

“The lines tell you how to read the record. One side’s for the pictures, the other is the sound.”

Everyone else in the room lifted their heads and turned to look at River. She stopped, almost as if to say something, but then just shrugged and continued walking. For several long seconds after she disappeared into the corridor, the room was silent. Simon was the first to speak up as he stood and turned in the direction that River went, one hand on his chair.

“Maybe… I should go make sure she doesn’t do anything to the rest of the scrap.”

With the silence broken, the rest of the room burst into chaotic conversation. 

“There are pictures? Nobody told me there were pictures. Did you know there were pictures on the thing? I wonder what they put,” said Wash excitedly before his wife interrupted him.

“Hold on, honey. She didn’t tell us how to read the thing.”

Kaylee took the cover from Simon and was excitedly looking over the drawings.

“I get it now, this here must be a calibration image, and that’s the frequency… Cap’n, I think I can build this!”

Mal, in his most authoritative voice, tried to stop the chaos.

“Hold it, hold it! Nobody said anything about building anything! We’ve got enough to do on this ship without you going off on some fool project to read a god-knows how old message from the past. We sell this to a collector as soon as Inara finds one.”

At the sound of her name, Inara stood and started heading out.

“I would have liked to hear what was on this disk as well, but I suppose I should be looking for buyers now.”

Kaylee had a plaintive look on her face as she spoke to the captain.

“But Mal…”

He stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

“No buts. I need you sorting the scrap and selling that off. We all have work to do, so let’s get to it.”

With that, the rest of the crew dispersed, with Simon and Kaylee looking less-than-happy about the outcome of the little meeting. A somber silence of waiting descended upon Serenity as Kaylee began taking the still-working components off-ship to sell, with a smug Jayne tagging along as ‘protection’, as well Book for his own inscrutable reasons (‘To see if anyone is in need of the Lord’s help’, he claimed). Inara had already retreated to her shuttle, no doubt contacting various aristocrats with more money than sense and the eccentricity to match. Zoë and Mal were off-ship looking for work, and Wash was taking a nap on the bridge, leaving Simon and River alone with the record. Simon decided that it would be beneficial to his sister to read the schematics – after all, she seemed to be interested in the record, and she seemed to be happy to decipher the ancient pictograms. He thought back to their childhood days, when she picked up many, many archaic writing systems in a matter of days during a history craze. She had left messages in Sanskrit, Assyrian, and old Chinese all over the house for weeks. Looking at her poring over the lines, he could almost forget that she wasn’t the same girl she had been at home. He could almost forget what they had done to her as he watched her smile excitedly when she figured something out, or frown and furrow her brow at a difficult problem. Simon shook his head, to clear his thoughts. Those days were long gone. He moved closer to her, asking a few questions about the different lines and diagrams. Almost like old times.

Elsewhere, the Captain and Zoë were in a bit of trouble. Depending on whom you asked, it might even qualify as more than a bit. They were being escorted carefully through a series of dark alleys at gunpoint, and Mal was sure he knew who was behind this. His hands in the air, he exchanged a meaningful glace with Zoë – she nodded back to him, agreeing with his silent assessment as they walked. When they finally arrived, he began speaking self-assuredly to the hatted crime-boss.

“Well, Badger, aren’t you just the paragon of hospitality? Sending armed men to pick us up just barely after we land – that’s what I call dedication. Why don’t we put up the guns and speak in a more civil environment?”

With a wave of his hand, Badger dismissed all but two of the guards, who moved to block the exit. He stared for a while at Mal, sizing him up with a suspicious glare.

“I thought I told you I didn’t have any work for you the last time you were here.”

Mal shrugged, looking at Zoë again before continuing.

“I wasn’t planning on bothering you. In fact, I had other business here on Persephone.”

Zoë nodded in agreement, crossing her arms in a pose that made Badger shift back a little, even though she was unarmed. The crime boss stared at them again before continuing.

“So I’ve heard – rumor has it you’ve been looking around for a collector for some Earth memorabilia. Word here travels fast, and I thought I should remind you that business on this planet, ‘specially of this type, goes through me.”

Mal shrugged noncommittally.

“Don’t know why you’d be interested in it, Badger. We found the salvage fair and square, no need for you to get involved.”

From behind Badger, a familiar and haughty voice answered.

“I will be the one interested, Mister Reynolds. Badger has informed me you had an item of considerable historical interest, and so he contacted me to broker a deal.”

Into the room stepped Atherton Wing with a very self-satisfied smirk. He was clearly enjoying the sight of Mal in a position of weakness, especially since his humiliation at the duel. With his appearance, Mal’s mood visibly soured – his hand unconsciously went to his back, where he’d been stabbed in Atherton’s cruel and toying manner. 

“Of course, you are entitled to a finder’s fee,” continued the nobleman smugly. “I think, say, ten percent is fair? Oh, and that’s before I deduct the compensation from the duel, hmm, maybe also the fee that whore charged me for the night…”

“Don’t you dare call her that!”

Zoë barely managed to restrain her captain as he lunged towards the nobleman. Staring daggers at both Badger and Atherton, she spoke into Mal’s ear.

“It’s not worth it, Captain. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”

Ceasing to struggle, Mal freed himself from her grasp and turned around to leave. The two guards at the door, however, moved to block his way. Badger called out from behind.

“It’s alright, let him go. Don’t forget to bring the goods. And I’ll know if you try to sell it to someone else – Mr. Wing here has his ways.”

The atmosphere on Serenity a few hours later was much darker than it was when the ship had landed. Mal was pacing about the main cargo bay, where the record sat in a small crate packed with straw. Nearby, Kaylee, River, and Simon were fiddling with a partially-finished box with a round top and wires sticking out all over the place, some going to a small speaker, and others to a repurposed portable medical scanner’s monitor. Inara followed the captain, trying to explain to him the situation.

“All of the collectors on Persephone know him, and they’d tell him if they got their hands on it. I hate the man as much as you do, but this is the only way it’ll get sold.”

Mal was clearly not happy with this arrangement.

“I’m not doing business with that scumbag, and you know it. I fought a duel!”

“For my honor, I know. But please, Mal, put your own needs to the side for a minute. We need the money, you know that.”

“Not like you’re the one who’s been out of work lately.”

Mal stopped and turned around to stare at Inara. For a moment, there was silence in the room, but a palpable feeling filled the air between them. An audible sigh and the sound of a screwdriver clattering to the floor made them break eye contact and look towards the source of the sound. Simon was shaking his head, pointing at one of the images on the diagram.

“We’re missing this component. Without it, we can’t play the disk.”

Kaylee worriedly looked at the image, and then rummaged through the electrical components she had salvaged from the spacecraft.

“I know I saw it somewhere…”

River stood up suddenly, staring off into the distance. She looked once more at the diagram, and then left.

“Finding help,” she answered mysteriously to Simon’s unasked question. Before he could get up to follow her, a group of men approached Serenity, led by Badger. Mal scrambled for the bay door controls, but one of them pointed a gun at him before he could do anything. Inara held her hands up, and looked upwards into the walkways. She noticed Zoë and Jayne standing there, and moved her head slightly to suggest that they hide. Badger walked in, going directly to Mal, followed by an even smugger Atherton Wing. The nobleman exaggerated a bow to Inara, kissing her hand.

“What a pleasure it is to see you again, Inara. You are as beautiful and graceful as always. I hope you have reconsidered your… folly.”

She quickly recoiled from his touch, barely suppressing her sheer disgust for the man. Composing herself quickly, she answered him in a steely tone.

“No amount of flattery will redeem you, Atherton. The Companions’ Guild will have nothing to do with your patronage.”

Mocking her with another exaggerated gesture of civility, he turned to the captain.

“Don’t think too highly of yourself, Inara. My business today is with him.”

Atherton smiled at Mal, and then went to pick up the record. He looked at the golden surface and etched grooves, examining it with a critical eye.

“Well, it seems like the genuine article. I shall have Badger handle the money immediately. It’s been a pleasure dealing with you again, Mister Reynolds.”

“And what business would that be, Mister Wing? I distinctly recall your rather large debts to the Companions’ Guild and your family after your humiliating incident with the swords – ah, good evening to you, Captain Reynolds. I hear my cargo arrived safe and sound, you did a commendable job.”

Everyone turned to stare at the portly gentleman who had arrived, along with several private guards and officers. As soon as they approached, Badger straightened his coat, and with a nod, dispersed his men. He walked out quickly, tipping his hat to the man who had just entered. Inara smiled, curtsying to the new arrival.

“Ah, Sir Harrow, how nice to see you again! I see you got my wave, and will no doubt let Mr. Wing here know that he is in violation of a court order on behalf of the Companions’ Guild.”

Harrow nodded courteously to her. Throughout the conversation, Atherton’s face was becoming redder and redder, and he looked back and forth between Harrow and Inara. Mal stepped forward, taking the record from his hands.

“I’m sure Atherton was leaving right now, weren’t you?”

Through gritted teeth, he responded with a ‘Yes’, and then walked out of the ship, defeated. Harrow dismissed the guards and turned to leave, but stopped, remembering something.

“Oh yes, Captain Reynolds, I almost forgot. One of my acquaintances heard from me of your trustworthy reputation, and he needs a cargo delivered as soon as possible. I trust you can take this job?”

Staring blankly, Mal could only nod.

“Good, I’ll send Inara the details later. Have a good evening, Mr. Reynolds, Madam Serra.”

As soon as he walked out, River returned to the hold with Shepherd Book in tow. She dragged him by the hand over to Kaylee and Simon.

“He’s old. He can help.”

“Now, I’m not so old as to know how to use old Earth technology.”

River shook her head and pointed to one of the pictures on the record’s cover.

“You have that.”

Puzzled, Book took a small cartridge out of his pocket.

“This? This was just one of the bits of scrap that didn’t sell.”

Ignoring his protestations, she took the cartridge from his hand, attached it to a lever on the box, and took the record from Mal. Everyone stared as she placed the needle on the grooves and started the motor. A circle appeared on the screen, followed by a series of rapidly flickering images. Once they ended, a sound started playing from the speaker.

“As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, an organization of one-hundred and forty-seven member states who represent almost all of the human inhabitants of the Planet Earth, I send greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our Solar System into the Universe seeking only peace and friendship…”


	3. Epilogue

There is a small museum of Earth History on the planet Persephone. It is a non-profit endeavor, founded by a group of community-minded people who desired to let the children of humanity know their past and their origin. Its collection is small, donated by various philanthropists over the years, but the central piece was acquired mysteriously only a few years ago. In the middle of the museum is a golden disk, with listening stations and one hundred and sixteen images around it. People say it is one of two to ever be created, and that it is a message from the past to the future, a time capsule for the children of Earth out in space. Though the museum is small, it is popular among the locals, seeing its attendance steadily rise since the acquisition of the disk. Though they may never know the name of the anonymous donor who gave them the disk, the curators will always thank that person, who selflessly gave away a priceless piece of the heritage of humanity for the betterment of all.


End file.
